Sweeter than Fiction
by LittleGrey8
Summary: What would have happened if things had gone differently on Valentine's Day? How would Mark and Lexie's lives have changed?
1. Chapter 1

Hey, guys. Even after nearly two years Mark and Lexie are stuck in my head so I decided to write a story about how things would've changed if Mark and Lexie got back together in the Valentine's episode. I may also try to update my other stories this week, so leave in a review which story you would like to see me continue!

I don't own anything.

…..

Lexie paced through the living room with Zola in her arms. She had just endured the most awkward dinner in her life.

"What was I thinking? He has a girlfriend and he's all buddy buddy with Jackson. I'm going to die alone." Lexie sighed.

Zola giggled. Lexie looked at her niece and spoke under her breath, "You think my pain is funny? Just wait til you grow up." Lexie said with a smirk.

She jumped when she heard the door open

"Lex?" Meredith called out.

"In the living room. Your darling daughter refuses to go to sleep." Lexie said.

"Give her to me," Meredith took Zola in her arms. "Come on Zo, bed time." She walked up the stairs and left Derek and Lexie in the living room.

Lexie sunk down on the couch and put her head in her hands.

"You okay?" Derek asked her, sitting down next to her and putting a comforting hand on her back.

"I went over to Mark's tonight," She said softly.

"Oh," Derek said slowly.

"I finally built up my nerve and I went over there but Jackson was there. I should've told him I wanted to talk ALONE, but I chickened out. He thinks I still love Jackson, but I try to tell him that I don't, I try to tell him that I still love HIM, but I open my mouth and nothing comes out and everything is terrible." Lexie began to cry as she spoke.

Derek rubbed her back. "Lex, I know you and I know Mark. You're both incredibly stubborn and you have to stop dancing around each other. Meredith and I did it for years and every time I kiss her, every time Zola laughs, it never slips my mind that I almost missed all of it." Derek got up and started to walk towards the stairs.

Lexie wiped away her tears.

"Listen to your heart, not your head, Little Grey," Derek said with a small smile before going up the stairs.

Lexie sat on the couch. Hearing her old nickname made her think of the early days, when she and Mark had just started dating and everything was simpler than now. And just like that, her mind was made up. She grabbed her keys and ran out the door. She knew what she had to do.

…..

Lexie knocked on Mark's door. As she waited, doubts began to slip into her mind. What if Jackson was there? What if Julia was? Oh god, was she a home wrecker? What if she had waited to long and he really didn't love her anymore?

All of her doubts slipped away when he opened the door.

"Lexie?" Mark asked in surprise. "Are you okay?" Mark knew Lexie well, better than either of them would like to admit and he could tell she had been crying.

"We need to talk," Lexie said pushing past him into the apartment.

Mark shut the door and turned around. "Lex, you're scaring me."

"I love you," Lexie said, and as soon as she said it she couldn't stop. "Oh God.. oh, my God, that just came flying out of my face. I love you. I just...I did it again. I love you. I do. I just, I love you. And I have been trying not to say it. I have been trying so hard to just mash it down and ignore it and not say it… And Jackson is a great guy. He is. He's gorgeous and he's younger than you and he doesn't have any grandkids or babies with his lesbian bffs and he's an Avery. And he liked me, you know? He really liked me, but it was never gonna work out because I love you. I am so in love with you. You're in me. You're like — it's like you're a disease. It's like I am infected by Mark Sloan and I just can't think about anything or anybody and I can't sleep. I can't breathe. I can't eat. And I love you. I love you all the time. Every minute of every day. I love you. God it feels good just to say that. I... I love you."

Lexie stood there shocked at what she had just said; what she'd been thinking and feeling for months finally came to the surface.

Mark stood silently.

"Mark?" Lexie asked softly.

Mark stepped toward her and cupped her face in his hands before kissing her. The second their lips met all felt right in the world. After reluctantly pulling away, Mark leaned his forehead against hers.

"I love you too" He whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

I don't own anything.

…..

Mark's phone began to ring.

"Ignore it," He whispered, looking into Lexie's eyes.

"It might be the hospital," She pointed out.

Mark sighed and picked his phone up off of the kitchen counter.

"It's Julia," He whispered and his heart sank to his stomach. "I have to talk to her."

"I know," Lexie whispered, cupping his face in her hands. "I love you." She kissed him again and walked out of the door. As much as the two of them wanted to start right where they left off, they both knew that they couldn't do it while Mark was still in a relationship. What was one night when they had their whole lives ahead of them?

…

The next morning, Mark took Meredith and Derek's spare key from under their mat and snuck into their house. He tiptoed up to Lexie's room, coffee and donuts in hand.

He stood in her doorway staring at her. She was spread out across the bead, one hand on the floor. Her hair was splayed in every direction and her mouth was slightly open. Her blanket was tangled around her legs. She was beautiful.

He gently put their breakfast on her nightstand and crawled into bed next to her.

"Good morning," He whispered and she turned to face him.

'Hi," Lexie said softly. "Did you talk to Julia?"

"She was pretty upset, but we're done. You and I are in it for the long haul this time."

Lexie sat up and looked at Mark. "Good," Lexie said with a small smile, gently kissing him.

Mark grinned and turned to get the box of donuts, "How about a little breakfast in bed before work?"

Lexie's face fell when he mentioned work. "What do we say? Should we keep it a secret?"

"Absolutely not," Mark said sternly. "We're together, we love each other, and we're going to act like it whether they like it or not."

Lexie nodded, a grin spreading across her face.

….

That morning the couple walked into the hospital hand in hand.

Mark walked Lexie to the resident locker room.

"You sure I can't talk you into plastics?"

"Mark," Lexie said with a small smile. "Plastics will always have a special place in my heart, but neuro is where I want to go."

"Fine," Mark said with a small grin. "I guess Shepherd is good enough for you."

"What about my husband?" Meredith asked walking up to the door.

"Nothing, Lexie was just talking about how much she loves neuro." Mark responded.

"You two did it," Meredith said with a smirk.

Mark grinned and kissed Lexie. "See you at lunch. " "Big Grey, Little Grey," Mark addressed the sisters before leaving.

It sent chills down Lexie's spine to hear her old nickname.

She turned to see her sister eyeing her. "We didn't DO it, we got back together. There is a very distinct difference," Lexie said sternly before opening the door and walking in to the locker room.

"You and McSteamy totally did it!" Cristina exclaimed as soon as Lexie and Meredith walked into the roon. "Pay up Evil Spawn!" She said turning to Alex.

"You bet on my relationship?" Lexie asked in disbelief.

"Lexipedia, you and McSteamy are predictable," Cristina said with a snort. Alex and Meredith began to laugh as Lexie walked over to her locker.

"What's so funny?" Jackson asked as he and Meredith walked into the room.

"I won a bet on Lexipedia and McSteamy," Cristina said with a snort as she began to count the money that Alex handed her.

"Oh…" Jackson said, awkwardly and silently walking to his locker.

"Dude, don't be melodramatic. It was inevitable," Alex said with a snort, getting up and leaving.

"Yeah, I guess it was. Congrats, Lex," Jackson said with a sincere smile.

"Thanks," Lexie said with a wide grin.

…..

That night Lexie walked into the resident locker room to find Mark waiting for her.

"So I'd say the restaurant is probably closed by now," Mark said with a chuckle.

"Dinner?" Lexie asked curiously.

"I wanted to surprise you with a real date; to celebrate us."

"I'm so sorry, I was doing Mark's post ops. And then I helped him and his sister with an impossible tumor. I spent hours timing them, but they think they can get it. And it was just an incredible rush, like word impossible doesn't really have meaning anymore. And now I know, without a doubt, that I want to specialize in neuro," She looked up to see Mark grinning at her. He missed her rambling.

"You're a bad ass," Mark said with a laugh, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm sorry about dinner," Lexie whispered, pressing her forehead against his.

"Life of a surgeon," Mark said with a laugh. "What do you say we head back to my place and order a pizza?"

"It sounds wonderful," Lexie said, kissing Mark.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to everyone for the great reviews!

…..

It had been a little two months since Mark and Lexie had gotten back together. They had been taken things as slow as they could, but Lexie practically lived at Mark's place and was enjoying figuring out her role in Sofia's life. They had had to deal with their fair share of drama from their coworkers, especially since Jackson was Mark's plastics prodigy, but their coworkers had finally been able to warm up to them.

They were standing in the parking lot, wishing the residents good luck as they left for their boards. Mark was giving Jackson some last minute tips and Lexie was looking around for her sister.

Just as the bus was about to leave, Meredith through the doors. "Sorry! Zola was sick!"

"Grey, get your ass on that bus and do what I taught you to do!" Bailey yelled.

"Good luck, Mer!" Lexie called after her sister. Meredith got on the bus and it left.

….

Later that day, Lexie sat down next to Mark in the cafeteria and let out a heavy sigh.

"Busy day?" Callie asked, looking across the table.

"The entire fifth year class are taking their boards and since most of my class got fired, my day has been absolutely insane"

"And you're trying to show off for chief resident," Arizona pointed out.

"It's not like I'm going to get it. Owen's one of your friends and I'm your girlfriend, they'll scream favoritism. You know how bad things got when I was intern and everyone found out. I can't get chief resident only to lose it over our relationship," Lexie explained, shoving a sandwich in her mouth.

"Little Grey, you're easily the best resident in your class, you're practically the same skill level as the fifth years. There's no reason you shouldn't be chief resident.," Derek said with a grin, before getting up from the table. "See you in OR 2 for your solo craniotomy in an hour," he walked off.

"My what?" Lexie began to giggle. This would be the first neurosurgery she performed alone.

"Wanna celebrate?" Mark whispered in her ear. Lexie nodded and they walked off to an on call room.

…

Lexie laid next to Mark in bed in the on call room. "This time tomorrow I could be chief resident," she said, grinning at him.

Mark grinned back. "Why are you acting so surprised? You're the best resident in your class, most people think you're a fifth year.

"Because," Lexie said, sitting up, "I was the girl who fell in love with 007, then her attending AS an intern. I was the girl who arranged a crazy cabal of cutter interns. I was the girl who had to be admitted to psych and threw a softball at your girlfriend's boob. I may be a good doctor, but you have to admit I don't have the best reputation."

"Lex," Mark sat up next to her, "You are Little Grey, Lexipedia. You helped make a woman speak, put a face back on a man. You probably know more about medicine than anyone here. You're a damn good doctor, but you're more than that. You put me back together, you make me and everyone else better. You're on the path to be a badass neuro god, probably even better than Derek. Go, save lives, prove to Hunt that you deserve to be chief resident," Mark said with a grin, kissing her.

Lexie kissed him back and jumped off the bed. She turned before she opened the door. "I love you, I don't know why I couldn't say it sooner," She said with a small smile.

"I know. Now go. Rock your solo surgery," Mark said with a smile.

Lexie grinned and walked out.

….

Several hours, Lexie walked by the bulletin board and saw a white piece of paper; a piece of paper proclaiming the name of the chief resident. She took a deep breath and walked up. She slowly read the piece of paper: "CHIEF RESIDENT: LEXIE GREY." "Congratuations, Dr. Grey. You'll make a fine chief resident," She turned to see Dr. Webber standing behind her.

"Thank you, Chi- Dr. Webber." Lexie said with a smile.

"Now go celebrate, you only have a week or two before Kepner passes down the position and you'll be up to your ears in OR boards and resident schedules."

"With all due respect for, I was born for this job," Lexie responded. Dr. Webber grinned and walked away.

"My girlfriend is not only a badass neurosurgeon, but also badass chief resident," Mark whispered, coming up behind Lexie and wrapping his arms around her.

Lexie turned and kissed him. "I have to check on my patient, but your better go home and get ready because you are in store for some very dirty sex tonight."

Mark kissed her one last time before turning to leave.

…..

About an hour, Lexie walked through the door of Mark's apartment. Though they still weren't officially living together, she practically lived there.

"Derek called," Mark called from the kitchen. "Meredith passed her boards."

"Really? That's great," Lexie responded, taking off her coat. She walked into the kitchen.

Mark had made a delicious looking dinner and actually set the table, even lit candles.

"What's the special occasion?" Lexie asked curiously.

"You," Mark responded with a proud smile, "You rocked your first solo specialty specific surgery and you made chief resident."

Lexie smiled at Mark. It almost hurt how much she loved him.

He walked over to her and kissed her. He pulled away and wrapped his arms around her neck; hers were around his waist, their foreheads pressed together, gasping for air.

"Marry me."


End file.
